


mother knows best

by orphan_account



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Bad Parenting, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-11
Updated: 2019-10-11
Packaged: 2020-12-07 21:36:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 387
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20982758
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: A more critical look at Frisk and Toriel's relationship.





	mother knows best

**Author's Note:**

> WARNING: the following story depicts toxic parenting, and it also discusses kidnapping, child murder, self-harm, and suicide.

They’re not sure why they went with her.

Maybe they felt bad for her? Her children were both dead, she hated her ex-husband, and she barely knew her only friend. She was just a lonely, immortal old lady. So they chose to stay with her, to live as her adopted child.

Toriel was thrilled! The two of them found a house rather quickly, and even though she technically wasn’t ruler of anything anymore, she treated them like a little monarch. Their room was lovingly decorated and filled with toys, they were treated kindly and protected, and every Sunday, after dinner, she would always make a butterscotch-cinnamon pie (they never tried the snail pie, though).

Then the _bans_ started.

First, it was reasonable. No sharp things; she never stated why, but Frisk suspected it had something to the scars they saw on Chara’s ghostly arms during their journey. Then she forbade Asgore from visiting, which was honestly understandable, given that his orders were why everyone wanted them dead in the first place.

But over time, it got worse.

One time, on the way home from school, Frisk slipped up and told Toriel what Sans told them: that if he didn’t make a promise to her, he would have killed them. She revoked her friendship with him and banned him, too.

Then it was Undyne, Papyrus, Alphys, every monster that Frisk met and befriended. After all, they _helped_ Asgore, didn’t they? They wanted their SOUL just as much as he did!

Then she took their phone away because she was scared they’d try to contact them. She was scared, she told them. She just wanted them to be safe.

But Frisk didn’t feel very safe.

She beat them. She tried to kidnap them. She even killed them once. _If she could repent for her sins from the Underground, why couldn't they? What made her any better than them?_

And now Frisk is alone. They have nobody except for their dear mother.

. . . Oh, who are they kidding? Toriel isn’t their mother. She never has been and she never will be.

A familiar sight lights up with them, glowing yellow and red and white in a field of black.

Frisk still remembers how excited she was when they chose to stay with her.

But they chose wrong.

** _*You RESET the game._ **

**Author's Note:**

> say it with me, folks! helicopter parenting isn’t cute or wholesome! attempted kidnapping isn’t cute or wholesome! beating children isn’t cute or wholesome!


End file.
